


A True Leader Leads

by Aria_Lerendeair



Series: Alec Lightwood Birthday Bash 2019 [25]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec takes his rightful place, Alec tells Aldertree off, BAMF Alec Lightwood, Canon Divergent, Head of the Institute Alec Lightwood, M/M, leader alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Angry and upset with the Clave order to turn the New York Institute over to Aldertree, it takes some advice from Magnus to make Alec remember what he already knew.  The people there were loyal to him, not whoever the Clave told them to be.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Alec Lightwood Birthday Bash 2019 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560298
Comments: 9
Kudos: 542





	A True Leader Leads

**Author's Note:**

> adarosewrites prompted: For Alec’s birthday prompt; how about Aldertree trying to take the NY institute but everyone stands by Alec b/c he’s always been their leader and they respect Alec not aldertree, even if they don’t exactly approve of his choice of partner. Bonus points if there’s Confident!Alec
> 
> Okay this was one of my favorite scenes in the entire series, Alec coming up and just reading Aldertree the damn riot act. Like, HELLO yes please and thank you, so of course I had to do my own spin on it!!

It’s hard to watch Alec pace across the loft for the fifth or sixth time, tension in every inch of his body. Magnus sympathized, but Alec’s expression was still furious and he was showing no signs of stopping to take a breath, let alone advice. 

  
“What am I supposed to do,” Alec snarled, glancing down at his tablet again, the order there to hand over command to Aldertree blaring red on his phone every time he looked at it. Aldertree would have already taken over his office, would have taken his place without waiting a moment to think and it made his skin crawl to think of what was going to happen to the Downworlder Council meetings with him at the helm. He paced across the loft again, tugging hard at his hair. 

  
“Alexander,” Magnus called, trying to get him to stop his frantic pacing for just a moment. "What does the order say?“ 

  
Alec scoffed and glared at Magnus. "That I am to turn over immediate control to Aldertree, and he is now the de facto Head of the New York-”

  
“Alec,” Magnus growled, moving to his feet. "I am asking you for a reason. Does everyone in the institute report to him now? Or no?“ 

  
Alec blinked and tilted his head, opening his mouth for a moment before snapping it shut. "Why are you asking that?” 

  
Magnus gave a faint smile. "Because I know what makes a leader and what does not. I have no doubt in my mind that you don’t need to do anything other than show up and be yourself and your people, your team, will know who is in charge.“ 

  
Alec shook his head and scowled. "He could report me easily enough-”

  
“Report what?” Magnus asked with a raised eyebrow. "That you are taking initiative to get things accomplished? That you are ensuring it run as appropriately?“ He stepped closer and pressed a hand to Alec’s chest. "Alexander, are you honestly telling me that you believe your team, the team you have built, worked with, trained and coached for years now, is going to accept his leadership just because the Clave said so?” 

  
Alec stared at Magnus and frowned. "Those are orders.“ 

  
"And,” Magnus said, a grin on his face. "How many times have I seen you roll your eyes when your mother gave a similar reason, or excuse? Following orders is all well and good, until they no longer make sense. Then you stop following them.“ 

  
Alec blinked. 

  
"Think about it,” Magnus said, giving him a little push. "Go there. Challenge him. Dare him to try to get them to obey him instead of you. Your people are loyal to you, Alexander. They’re loyal to what you are building at that Institute. Don’t you dare let some directive from Idris destroy everything you have worked to build in that Institute.“ 

  
Alec softened and reached out to wrap an arm around Magnus, pulling him in close, smiling. "You’re the best boyfriend a guy could ask for, you know that?” 

  
Magnus huffed and nuzzled into Alec’s neck, pressing a kiss to his deflect rune. "That is arguable, considering I just set you up to spend the remainder of the evening at the Institute, rather than with me.“ 

  
"Yeah,” Alec said with an eyeroll. "You prevented a very long night of pacing and anger. I should be thanking you.“ 

  
"Thank me when you get your Institute back,” Magnus said, pushing back from Alec just enough to steal a kiss. "Want me to come in as backup?“ 

  
Alec shook his head. "I need to do this on my own. I’ll make sure to tell you when it’s over. He won’t let me take control for long until he tries to grab it back.” 

  
Magnus nodded, smiling at him. "Trust yourself and trust your team, Alec. They’re loyal to you, not him.“ 

  
"You’re right,” Alec said, squaring his shoulders as he gave Magnus a grateful smile. "I love you.“ 

  
Magnus pulled Alec in for a kiss, exhaling against his lips, before he let Alec tug himself away. "I love you too,” he whispered. "Now go kick his ass.“ 

  
Alec winked at him. "Do you have enough energy for a portal-”

  
Magnus summoned it before Alec had finished asking the question and gave him a wave. "Get going. I’ll see you tomorrow if you don’t make it home tonight.“ 

  
"I promise to text you either way.” 

  
Magnus watched Alec step into the portal with a wave and turned to the drink cart, helping himself to it. He glanced at the portal he’d yet to close and considered following Alec in, glamouring himself, just so he could watch the show about to unfold, but no, it’d be better if he left things to Alec. He’d be too inclined to help if he did go. He closed the portal and picked up his martini glass, heading for his office. He had at least a few hours that he could kill before he went to bed. 

  
~!~

  
Alec headed straight for Operations as soon as he was in the Institute, reading over the reports that were waiting. He knew, he was certain, that Aldertree was waiting in his office, but Alec wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a confrontation there. If he wanted it, they’d have it here, out in front of the team. He fell into his role the same as always, pulling up a graphic of the New York subway station where a Behemoth demon had been sighted only an hour ago, speaking to a group of trainee shadowhunters who would be accompanying Izzy and Jace on the hunt. 

  
“You’ll all be acting as backup, and while Behemoth are dangerous, I don’t expect you to come back with any missing limbs. Don’t prove me wrong in that regard,” he said, dismissing them with a nod, watching Jace lead them out of the Institute. 

  
“And what do you think you are doing?” Aldertree snapped, stepping into Ops, standing opposite Alec, the table between the two of them. 

  
Alec raised both of his eyebrows at Aldertree and then turned to the other shadowhunters who were still staring at him, their eyes darting between him and Aldertree. "We need that report of Shax demons at Grand Central investigated. Do you need me to go with you?“ 

  
He grinned when they shook their heads and dismissed them before turning back to where Aldertree was almost shaking with rage. "Can I help you?” he asked. 

  
“May I remind you, you are no longer Head of the New York Institute,” Aldertree snapped. "You have no authority to be giving orders to anyone here and-“

  
"Funny thing about that,” Alec said, stepping around the table and towards Aldertree, towering over him, using his height to his advantage. "I’m not doing anything I wouldn’t when my mother was still head with my father.“ 

  
"Excuse me-”

  
“In fact,” Alec continued, turning back to the desk, lifting up another projection, pulling up the trackers of Jace, Izzy and their new trainees. "It might be good for you to watch how these new recruits from Miami do. They’re not used to sewers, and I don’t think they’ve ever fought a Behemoth before.“ 

  
"Lightwood,” Aldertree snarled. "No matter what behaviors your mother allowed while she was here, that does not mean you have carte blanche to act however you want in _my_ Institute.“ 

  
Alec snorted and rolled his eyes, turning back to Aldertree, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is that what you think?” 

  
“What?” Aldertree snapped. "That the New York Institute is mine? Yes, by direct order of the Clave.“ 

  
Alec scoffed and looked around him, at the eyes they were drawing and he leaned his hip against the table, glancing down at it again. Izzy and Jace had the group between the both of them, which meant they were at least keeping with standard formation for trainees. 

  
"You are toeing the line of insubordination, Lightwood. I will have you reported first thing in the morning,” Aldertree snapped. "I suggest you get used to the new reality and adjust, quickly, before I have your ass transferred faster than you can say your boyfriend’s name.“ 

  
Alec narrowed his eyes and stood upright, watching Aldertree stalk towards his office. "No,” he called, hearing all sound in the room clatter to a halt and more than one set of eyes turn to stare at him in shock. Alec kept a confident smile on his lips. Magnus had been right. He knew his team, and that team would work with him, support him, but never Aldertree. 

  
Aldertree turned, his eyes dark as he stared at Alec Lightwood. "Excuse me? Do you care to repeat that for the official record of my report to the Clave?“ 

  
"Sure,” Alec said with a shrug. "The New York Institute might be yours in name, but it isn’t yours in action. I’m not going to sit here and fall in line because you think I should. I’m going to make sure things run as they are supposed to, and that teams are safe. All things, you may not realize, cannot be done from _my_ office.“ 

  
The silence around them was deafening, but Alec knew that the people around them were listening and he did his best to focus on them without looking at any of them directly. He grinned and glanced over his shoulder. "Underhill. How many missions did I go on weekly as Head of the Institute?” 

  
“At least five solo, and perhaps three or more team missions. Not including standard patrols, of which you did four, the same as any other shadowhunter here,” Underhill called out quickly. 

  
Aldertree snorted and rolled his eyes. "You think showing off just how much work you were able to avoid as Institute Head is going to-“

  
Alec held up his hand, silencing Aldertree. "How many times was I late on signing reports for you?” He cocked an eyebrow and watched as Aldertree glowered at him, his anger palpable between them. "I believe the correct answer is, none.“ 

  
"That doesn’t mean-”

  
“Franklin,” Alec called out to the man studying the team approaching Grand Central. "How often was I late on granting budget approvals for your last mission after I asked for clarification on the adamas used and why?“

  
"Never, sir,” Franklin said, straightening his shoulder as they both looked at him. He focused back down on the projection and didn’t look at them again until their gazes had turned away. 

  
Alec gave Aldertree a faint grin, raising his eyebrows. "I know how to run this Institute better than anyone else, Aldertree, and that includes you and my parents. It might be yours in name for now, but I have built it to what it is today with the help of every shadowhunter here.“ 

  
"And look at where that has gotten you! A demotion. And it will be ichor duty, for a month!” Aldertree snapped. 

  
Alec shrugged. “Okay. That won’t last more than a week. And my demotion? This isn’t the first time that the Clave has needed to change their minds and refused to.” 

  
“I will have you thrown into the Gard for insubordination, Lightwood!” 

  
Alec stood up to his full height and once again towered over Aldertree, his voice dropping to low and vicious. “You want to try to play that game with me, Aldertree?” he asked. “Because you will lose. I told you. I’m better than my parents and you ever will be.” 

  
Aldertree floundered and glared at him. “Get out of my Institute.” 

  
Alec raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head, turning back to the projection on the table. Izzy, Jace and their trainees were approaching the behemoth now. 

  
“That’s an order, Lightwood!” 

  
Alec straightened his spine and turned to face Aldertree one last time. He leaned in, glad when the man took a step back and smirked. “I don’t take orders from you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to keep _my_ people safe. Get out of my way, or I’ll make you.” 

  
He wasn't sure what exactly made Aldertree stalk away from him, his whole body furious, but he relaxed minutely and then back on the display. The approving nods and smiles from the team around him were enough to remind him that Magnus was right. His team had his back, and that was what mattered. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
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